[Trachomatous tarsitis: its consequences and their surgical treatment (author's transl)].

Trachomatous tarsitis is characterized by personal criteria the development of a fibrous and retractile scar tissue inducing cirrhosis with static and hemodynamic changes of the eye lid: lesions of the ciliary stratum, entropion and trichiasis which in their turn give a range of conjunctivocorneal complications, the ultimate stage being xerosis and blindness. To avoid this kind of evolution some easy surgical technics are available. The option between them is mainly oriented by personal criteria and the following pattern may be proposed: -- For upper lid, in regard to degree of tarsis hypertrophy, either Trabut's tarsotomy, or Streatfield-Snellen's tarsectomy, or a joint intervention of Cuenod and Nataf, might be selected. -- For lower lid and in children, the Trabut's transconjunctival tarsotomy is recommended. -- In relapsing cases and when trichiasis prevails over entropion, Van Millingen's marginoplasty will give satisfactory results.